Ann Lampard

Ann was born and educated in the North East of England, studying singing with Betty Middleton. At twenty-one she won many National Festival Awards, including the Oxford Festival Professional Recital Award, before moving to London to study singing with Marjorie Thomas. She joined Glyndebourne Festival Opera after winning the Dame Maggie Teyte International Operatic Prize, and went on to sing many leading roles. Ann toured the Far East giving recitals and masterclasses before she decided to concentrate on teaching. She has been Head of Voice at the Junior Royal Academy of Music in London, for sixteen years. Currently, she divides her time between her home on the Isle of Skye, teaching in Sussex and adjudication.

Marilyn Hill Smith

Marilyn studied at the Guidhall School of Music and made her debut with English National Opera as Adele in Die Fledermaus. An accomplished and versatile soprano, she has sung principal roles with all the major British opera companies as well as with Canadian Opera and Lyric Opera, Singapore. Her wide and varied repertoire ranges from early French opera to Gilbert & Sullivan, and has performed as far afield as Hollywood, Australia, Brazil and Zimbabwe. Marilyn teaches singing and is an adjudicator member of the British & International Federation of Festivals.

Peter Hunt

Peter is an experienced choral trainer and conductor having worked with a wide variety of singers and choral groups for over 40 years. He studied at Dartington and London before a long career in secondary music education, later focusing more broadly on choral education. He was Head of Creative Arts at Chipping Norton School for 10 years and still conducts the local Choral Society after 19 years. Until 2015 he was Head of Voice and Deputy Head of the independent music service Berkshire Maestros. Peter is the inspiration behind the VOICEWORKS publications with Oxford University Press that have transformed singing activities for many people. He has a national reputation as a workshop leader, trainer and adjudicator.

John Kirkpatrick

Born in Chiswick, West London, in 1947 a deep love of music was instilled from birth, and family gatherings always included a hearty sing-song. He joined the Hammersmith Morris Men at the age of 12, got ‘hooked’ and began playing the melodeon, then the button accordion, then the Anglo concertina for the dancing. He quickly became in demand as a musician for country dance evenings, courses, and folk camps and went on to play in numerous dance bands as a teenager. A professional career followed with groups such as The Albion Country Band, Steeleye Span, Band of Hope and with the Albion Band at the National Theatre. These days John is most often seen as a soloist in his natural habitat as a champion of traditional English folk music, in festivals, clubs, and village halls. By way of rewarding his efforts over the years, he was made an honorary lifetime member of The International Concertina Association in 2002, awarded The Gold Badge of The English Folk Dance & Song Society in 2003, and named Musician of the Year in BBC Radio 2’s Folk Awards in 2010.

Gill Johnston

Gillian studied the bassoon with Archie Camden at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and, after a period of freelance playing, concentrated on a teaching career, before moving to Harpenden where she established her own Music School, ‘Harpenden Musicale’.

As well as running the Music School, Gill arranges Musicale Holidays, Competitions and a Summer Music Festival. She is the founder and Musical Director of the National Children’s Wind Orchestra and associated groups. Gill is an adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals and very much enjoys contact with young musicians, inspiring and enthusing their interest in music.

Craig Ogden

Craig was born in Australia and is one of the most exciting guitarists of his generation. He studied guitar from the age of seven and percussion from the age of thirteen. In 2004, he became the youngest instrumentalist to receive a Fellowship from the Royal Northern College of Music in recognition of his achievements. Craig’s recordings for Virgin/EMI, Chandos, Nimbus, Hyperion and Sony have received wide acclaim, and BBC Music Magazine dubbed him "a worthy successor to Julian Bream". His debut solo CD for Nimbus Records of '20th Century Classics by British composers' was nominated for a Grammy Award. Craig has performed concertos with all of the major UK orchestras and also internationally. Craig regularly appears as soloist and chamber musician at the major London venues and collaborates with many of the UK’s top artists and ensembles. He has released a number of CDs and is Principal Lecturer in Guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

Norma Redfearn

Norma trained at the Northern College of Speech and Drama and researched at Leicester University. She has taught and lectured at a variety of schools and colleges and was Head of Drama at Yorkshire College of Music and Drama. She began her acting career in Rep, before going on to perform in professional theatre in many parts of the country. As an examiner for Trinity College London, she has examined students, lectured and performed throughout the UK, Europe and in many countries around the world.

Norma now examines extensively for LAMDA and continues to teach students from six years old to 60. She gives concerts and recitals as well as ‘voice-over’ recordings for radio and a variety of companies. Her greatest joy, however, is equipping students with “life skills” and the ability to take their place in society confidently. She believes that festivals are an opportunity to develop confidence. This is her second visit to the Festival.

Keith Smith

Keith received singing and piano lessons from the age of six and was renowned throughout the Midlands as a treble soloist. He also studied violin and played in both the Leicestershire and National Youth Orchestras before studying orchestral and choral conducting at the Royal College of Music. He holds degrees in music from both Leeds and Surrey Universities. After holding leading school teaching positions he became a full-time conductor, and worked with major choirs and orchestras both at home and abroad. For many years he has directed the work of the Southampton Youth Orchestra and in 1991 founded "Hampshire County Youth Choir". Throughout his career he has given violin and viola tuition to gifted pupils.

Anthony Williams (President)

Concert pianist, writer, lecturer, ABRSM examiner and moderator, and festival adjudicator, Anthony studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London. and Reading University. Following international competition success he embarked on a career as a concert pianist and quickly established an international reputation as a piano teacher and a passionate educator of pianistic musicianship at all ages and levels, giving piano masterclasses, public lecture-recitals and seminars on performance and the art of teaching. He has given talks on piano performance for Radio 3 and is author and editor of various publications including The Best of Grade and Fingerprints (Faber), Teaching Notes (ABRSM) and the highly-acclaimed Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide (Faber, 2017). Anthony combines his freelance career with a full-time position at Radley College, Oxfordshire as Head of Keyboard & Instrumental Music and is our President.